More on 'that' yellow Chub
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The journal entry 'Yellow Chub' (26 July 2018) told the story of a xanthic Bermuda Chub, Kyphosus sectatrix* speared by Vin Rushworth on a southern Abrolhos shoal, Western Australia. Since publishing that post more information has come to light via kyphosid experts Kendall Clements and Steen Knudsen.
The fish was initially identified as a Buffalo Bream, Kyphosus cornelii, but Kendall and Steen subsequently identified it as Kyphosus sectatrix and stated that K. sectatrix is the only species of Kyphosus in which xanthism has been reported. The right image shows a Kyphosus sectatrix from Trinidade Island, Brazil that was identified by Kendall.
Steen stated, "This speared Kyphosus from the Abrolhos is a first record of K. sectatrix from the western Australian coast, and a first record of a xanthic K. sectatrix from this part of the world."
Specimens of xanthic Kyphosus sectatrix have been reported from the Kermadec Islands (New Zealand), Hawaiian Islands, the Azores in the Atlantic, the Bonin Islands off Japan and from the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico.
Steen wrote, "Kendall and I collected K. bigibbus at Ningaloo reef, and K. cornelii, K. gladius and K. sydneyanus at the Abrolhos and at Yallingup reef. But we have not collected any K. sectatrix from south Western Australia before. Kyphosus sectatrix is occasionally found in northern New Zealand, and as this species is widely distributed around the world, I am not surprised that it also is able to make it to south Western Australia.
Thank you again Kendall and Steen for providing your time and expertise, and Vin for submitting such an interesting observation.
*The Bermuda Chub is better known in Australia as Beaked Chub.
Comments
Very interesting! Great article :D @markmcg
Thank you @henrick. :)
FYI @jemina :)
QM has a specimen of this species with identical colouration from Flinders Reef, SE Qld.
Thank you @jeffwj. I'll let Kendall know.
@jeffwj Kendall said that he doesn't need to see the specimen. He stated, "I'm not surprised that xanthic K. sectatrix are at Flinders. They're all over Middleton Reef and Lord Howe Island (so they'll certainly be at Ball's Pyramid), and at the Kermadecs." Thanks anyway. :)
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